Identity Theft Help

Do you suspect you are a victim of identity theft?

How To Report Identity Theft: 4 Steps

Once you’ve become aware that your identity has been stolen, immediately contact the fraud department of any institutions that have been directly affected to report and dispute fraudulent charges. This includes credit card companies and banks. While you continue your investigation on how much damage has been done, contacting your bank or credit card will allow you to close or freeze existing accounts to prevent more charges from occurring. This will also give you an opportunity to change your logins and passwords.

Next, you’ll want to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This can be done for free by contacting any of the three credit bureaus including TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax. Doing so will make it more difficult for unauthorized users to open new accounts using your stolen identity.

After placing a fraud alert on your credit report, it’s time to check your credit report. Initiating the fraud alert entitles you to a free report from TrueIdentity.com. Read through your reports carefully, taking note of any accounts, transactions, debts, and hard inquiries that you are not responsible for.

One of the final steps that help with identity theft is to report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission. This will allow you to file an Identity Theft Report. It is important to be as detailed as possible. Depending on the type of fraud, the FTC will recommend a potential recovery plan for you.

Hackers, phishing schemes, data breaches, and more contribute to the risks of identity theft. Once your identity has been stolen online, large amounts of fraudulent charges can be made at a shockingly fast rate, affecting both individuals and companies. There are things you can do, though, to enhance your cyber security, like:

Identity theft is also known for obtaining personal information by going through trash, stealing home addresses, and using skimming devices to copy credit and debit cards. You can do a few simple things to protect your identity every day, like:

Keep financial documents locked in a safe

Limit what you carry in your wallet

Leave your Social Security card at home

Check your mailbox daily

Make copies of important documents in case you lose the originals

Shred documents with personal information when you’re finished with them